Amber
by HorseGalFangirl9
Summary: Brittney is a European student visiting Illéa's palace to learn about the Selection and the Illéan royal family, or so she claims. As time goes on, it's becomes clear that she is hiding major from the people around her, and it's not only the Selected that begin to question her motives... and her identity. SUMMARY MODIFIED
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm back! This is my second Selection FanFiction, so all types of criticism are accepted. This story contains multiple OCs and considered AU since the events of the books are very much changed. A shoutout to NewKindofCinderella for approving of this story. Please review, favorite, and follow and leave feedback on how I can make my writing better. Just a warning, one of my OCs has the same last name as Kriss, but they are not related. Feel free to tell me if there are any mistakes or pieces of information I got wrong. There will be many different POVs, so be prepared. Now, let's start the story, shall we?**

Chapter 1: The Palace Doors

The moon's light illuminated the silhouette of the black limousine driving along the Illéan roads, silently, quietly. The tinted windows blocked anyone from seeing in or out of the car, although the darkness did their job for them. The palace loomed ahead, tall and grand in the night, it's lights radiating a sense of welcome.

The limo came to a halt in front of the palace's golden gates. The driver made a signal with his hand, and the gates swung open. After a few more minutes of driving the car stopped in the back of the palace, hidden from all those who didn't know of it's arrival. The chauffeur got out of the limo and opened the back door, holding out his hand. Another hand took it.

This hand was attached to a girl who gracefully slid out of the limousine, her soft auburn hair billowing out slightly thanks to the night breeze. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, looking for any witnesses. When she was sure there was none, she walked around the car, toward the back door. Before she went inside she looked back at the chauffeur. "Thank you," she said, her voice carrying a pleasant English accent, making it sound like silk. "You're welcome, My Lady," the chauffeur bowed. With a small smile, the girl disappeared into the palace.

"Miss Brittney Ambers, I presume?" came a voice from the shadows. Brittney jumped back into a wall, hand on her rapidly beating heart. "Who's there?" she exclaimed. A low chuckle was heard as a man stepped into the light. The man wore a blue uniform and a serious expression. Brittney immediately recognized him as a palace guard. "I'm sorry if I startled you, Miss." "No, no. It's quite alright." Brittney said, walking towards him. "Does anybody else know of my arrival?" The guard shook his head, going to open a door at the other end of the room. "Just me and the other guards, My Lady. The King was aware that you were arriving tonight, but you'll meet him and the queen tomorrow when you meet the Selected girls." Brittney nodded her head in understanding. "So the queen doesn't know?" "Well, I'm sure the king has told her, but neither of them really know anything about you." Brittney let that sink in for a while.

She and the guard walked in silence as they made their way through the castle halls. Brittney looked around them, catching little hints of crystal and marble whenever they passed a window. It seemed to be a beautiful place, and she couldn't wait to see it during the day. As she walked past a set of doors, she could hear hushed whispering. The guard seemed to hear it too, and went over and knocked. "Is everything alright in there?" The door opened and a maid scampered out. "Yes, sir. Everything is fine. We're sorry we bothered you." "It's fine. Just keep it down, okay?" the guard said kindly. "Yes sir, sorry sir," the maid hurriedly whispered as she went back inside the room. As she and the guard walked away, she could hear giggling coming from the room. Brittney chuckled to herself as the guard shook his head, a ghost of a smile upon his face.

He stopped walking as they came to a rather large door. One look around determined that all of these rooms were indeed very fancy, and Brittney was immediately confused. "Why-" she began. "The king and queen wanted you to be as comfortable as possible," the guard explained. "To be honest, when they were told that you were coming, they seemed a little scared." Brittney's eyes widened. "Scared? Of me? The king?" The guard nodded his head. "Wow," was all she could say. All of a sudden the guard seemed to shake himself out of a trance and opened the door. Brittney gasped as she took in the sight of the marble floors and walls and the gold furniture. "It's beautiful." "These are your maids," the guard pointed to three women waiting near the bed. They all looked to be around nineteen or twenty. "They will fulfill your needs and help you with whatever you need," the guard said. "Thank you," Brittney turned to him. "You are welcome. Goodnight, Lady Brittney," With that he turned and left.

Brittney walked over to her maids, taking each of them in. They all looked similar to one another, with the same black hair and green eyes. "Hello," she said softly. "What are your names?" "I'm Natalie," the one on the right said. She gestured to the two on the left. "That's Natasha and Nicole." Brittney let out a soft giggle. "I take it that you are all sisters?" "Yes, My Lady," Natalie said. "Please, call me Brittney," "Are you-" "Yes, I'm sure," Brittney held her hand up. "I don't like formalities. It makes me feel distanced from people. I don't think that's right." All three girls stared up at her in shock. Natasha seemed to get over it the quickest. "Is there anything we can get you, My- Brittney?" Said girl smiled graciously. "Just a night robe and a hair elastic, girls. That's really all I need."

Within ten minutes Brittney was lying down on the bed, ready to get some rest. "Thank you, girls," she said. "You can leave if you want." They all stared at her with disbelief etched onto their faces. "Are you sure that there is nothing else we can get you?" Nicole asked shyly. "I'm sure. Now go rest up, you need it as much as I do." Murmuring their thanks, they all left the room. As she drifted off to sleep Brittney smiled, knowing that she's have a great time here.

{ } { } { }

Brittney woke up to light streaming through the window. Blinking a few times, she sat up, the covers falling off her body. "Good morning, Miss," Natasha called. "Good morning girls," Brittney said, stifling a yawn. She stretched a bit, noticing a tightness in her back. Natasha must have seen her discomfort, as she came over and massaged her back, immediately loosing up the knots. "Better?" she asked. "Much, thank you," Brittney replied. "Miss Brittney, your bath is ready," Natalie called from the bathroom. Smiling, Brittney made her way over to the steaming hot bath, not noticing how much she's wanted one. "Thank you Natalie," she said as she led her maid out of the bathroom. Once she was alone, she stripped and eased herself into the lavender-scented water. Taking some shampoo, she washed and conditioned her hair, massaging her aching head. _I'm too stressed _she told herself as she rinsed out the lotions from her hair.

After about ten minutes, she walked out of the bathroom, robe on. Her maids quickly blow-dried her hair and got to work on styling it. While they worked, Brittney ate the breakfast that had been brought up to her room, savoring it. Al too soon it was time for her to get dressed. Her maids wouldn't let her see her outfit, so she had to close her eyes. Those girls were having too much fun!

Finally, finally, she was ready. As soon as she saw her reflection, she gasped. Her dress was a dark, forest green, ending just above her ankles. Black lace covered most of the bodice and sneaked onto the front and side of the tulle skirt. Black lace also made up the off-shoulder sleeves. Her shoes were high-heeled, black gem, open-toed shoes, giving her an extra three inches of height. Her make-up consisted of a simple- shadowy eye and light pink lip-gloss with a little touch of bronzer. Her hair was done up in two French braids on the sides of her head, then meeting at the back of her head where her hair fell down in cascading curls. "Do you like it?" Nicole asked. "I love it," Brittney breathed. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get you out there!"

"Brittney." The same guard who had come to get her last night greeted her. She nodded, and discreetly tried to read his nametag. "Officer White." He smiled at that. "Come. I'm here to take you to see the King and the Prince. You will join the Queen and the Selected in the Women's Room afterwards." Swallowing her nerves, Brittney joked, "A Women's Room? I like the sound of that!" Officer White chuckled as he led her down the hall, coming to a halt in front of a set of ornate doors. "Is this-" Brittney's question was cut off by the door swinging open and hitting her in the face.

"Ow!" she cried, cradling her forehead. "Oh my God, are you alright?" A voice came from next to her. "Yes," she said. "I'm fine. Could I get some ice, though?" "Maria! Can you get an ice pack for the lady?" the voice called. Brittney looked up and saw a man that looked about nineteen with honey blond hair and warm brown eyes. She recognized him immediately. "Your Highness," she made to go and curtsy, bun he held her upright. "I don't believe you need to curtsy to the man who knocked you in the face with a door. Come, take a seat."

He led her into the room, which she saw was an office. As she took a seat on the chair near a desk, she saw the king make his way back into the room. She got up to curtsy, but once again Maxon held her down. "Sit," he commanded. Just then the maid Maria came in with an ice pack, and Brittney graciously took it. "What is going on here?" the king demanded. "This young lady was outside the door when I opened it and hit her in the head." The king massaged his temple. "Who are you, young lady?" "Brittney Ambers, a student from Europe, Your Majesty. I'm a friend of the king and queen of Europe. I'm sure they told you I was visiting for my studies" Maxon's eyes widened and the king looked downright appalled. "I apologize, your grace, for my son's clumsiness. " Brittney laughed a bit. "It's alright, Your Majesty. I've been hit harder." That comment seemed to break the ice a little, and they began to discuss Europe, scheduling a meeting so that they could get more information on the mysterious kingdom and it's rulers. Soon it was time for Brittney to go meet the queen, so she bid her farewells and gave back the ice back. It probably wouldn't bruise.

Officer White reappeared to take Brittney to the Women's Room. Now that there was light, she took in the details of the palace. Marble floors and staircases and crystal chandeliers, it was beautiful. When they reached the Women's Room, Brittney made to open the door, hearing the approaching voices too late. She couldn't even turn away before the door opened and collided with her nose. "Ah!" she cried out holding her nose, feeling the blood coating her hand. Officer White immediately came to her side with a tissue, and she took it, horrified when it was drenched the next minute. A few more were taken out and she held them, pinching her nose and willing the bleeding to stop.

"Oh, my. Are you okay?" a panicked voice came from above her. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Brittney waved off everyone's concern. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?" Officer White asked. "Uh, no… I'm pretty sure I can handle a bleeding nose." She straightened up and tried to look as dignified as she could while holding tissues to her nose and sounding congested. Her accent really didn't help matters, either. "What happened here?" came another voice from inside the room. "Your Majesty, I apologize. I hit this lady in the nose when I opened the door!" the girl said, turning to a lady in a dark blue dress and a crown atop her head. _Oh come on! _Brittney thought. _The Prince and The King and now The Queen? Really?_ "Oh, come inside dear," the queen ushered her in.

Taking the tissues off, she regally wiped her nose, making sure there was no blood before curtsying to the queen. "Your Majesty." "May I ask who you are?" the queen put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm Brittney Ambers, Your Majesty." A frown crossed over the queen's face, and Brittney realized that she didn't know who she was. "Are you related to Kriss Ambers?" she asked. Brittney looked to see a girl with brown hair and brown eyes looking back at her. "No, Your Majesty," she said. "I'm a student from Europe. I came here to learn about Illéa and how it's ruled." "Ah, yes, Clarkson told me about you. I also hear that you are close to the king and queen, am I correct?" the queen asked. "Yes, Your Majesty." Brittney answered_. _"If you don't mind my asking, do you see their work? What they do?" Queen Amberly seemed genuinely interested, and the other girls looked interested as well. "As a matter of fact I do. If even do some of their work if they have too much or if they're busy." Queen Amberly's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, so you have experience with royal duties then." Brittney just nodded her head. "Hmmmm…" the queen said thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a girl's hand shot up into the air. "Yes?" Brittney said, uncertain. "Is the work hard?" the girl asked. "Yes," Brittney answered. "A queen's job isn't easy, I'll tell you that. In the palace I have some of my own paperwork to do and meetings to go to, since I am studying there, and even that is difficult. And stressful." "Thank you," the girl sat back down, blushing. Another hand shot up, and soon it was a trivia, Brittney answering questions about the palace and her life. She was floored by all the interest, and the fact that the queen was staring at her with an unreadable expression didn't go unnoticed by her either.

Soon enough it was time for the girls to go get ready for dinner and they all individually went to say good-bye to her. The queen nodded to her and briskly walked out of the room, confusing her even more. _What is up with her?_ She asked herself. Shaking her head, she found Officer White and they both made their way to the dining hall. Minding the door this time, she stepped into the hall. Immediately, all eyes were on her.

_Well, this should be fun._

**Do you consider that a cliffie? Anyway… what is up with the queen? What is going to happen at dinner? I'll let you guess…**

**Oh! And if I get at least 7 reviews I'll post on either Sunday or Monday. If I don't, I'll post next Saturday. **

**HorseGalFangirl9 **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I'm updating today because I probably won't be able to update next week thanks to a bunch of plans. But who knows? Any way, this chapter I going to be a bit shorter tan the first, but I promise it will be better. I actually only got 1 review for the last chapter, but I got 69 views. Is it really that hard to write a comment? But thanks to prnamber3909 for your review. It really made me laugh! I promise you this story will NOT have Maxon falling in love with another girl. MAXERICA FOREVER!**

**This will alternate between 2 POVs, Brittney's and the Queen's**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this series**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Dinner

Brittney looked around the dining hall, seeing every pair of eyes trained on her. It made her a little uncomfortable, although it really shouldn't have. She spoke in font of millions back at home. Daily, might she add. So why were the stares of thirty-eight people making her heart race? They surely didn't know… Shaking her head a little to clear her thoughts, she gave a curtsy to the royal family before making her way to sit down in a free seat on the far-left corner of the table. Trying to mask her nervousness, she plastered a smile on her face, held her back straight, and lifted her chin up high as she made her way to her chair. _Breathe in, breathe out._

As soon as she sat down King Clarkson blessed their meal and everyone started to eat. Embarrassed, Brittney leaned over to the girl next to her. "Were you waiting for me?" The girl just shrugged her shoulders. Brittney groaned under her breath. "I must be making such a good impression. First I get hit with a door in the face. Then I get hit with a door on my nose and end up talking like a congested mouse, and then I make everybody wait to have dinner. Forget Illéan history, I need to study how to properly live life!"

The girl laughed, a musical sound that made Brittney smile, too. The girl was rather pretty, with brilliant red hair, fair skin, and a smattering of freckles across her nose. "Honestly, I don't mind. You seem like the first real person in this castle who isn't trying to give off an image of perfection. Well, except the queen. She seems really sweet." Brittney looked over to the queen, who was deep in conversation with Prince Maxon. As if she felt her eyes on her, the queen turned to face Brittney and she quickly averted her eyes, turning back to the redhead. "Yes, she does seem rather nice." The redhead sighed. "I don't want to be here you know. I was forced to fill out the Selection form and I unfortunately got picked." Brittney's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. She was liking this girl. "I need to stay here though. My family needs the money, and there are people back at home who I can't stand to see right now."

Brittney looked at the girl, a beautiful smile gracing her lips. "You must be the only girl who doesn't want to live in a castle with a handsome prince." The girl stole a glance at Maxon. "Yeah… handsome. Sure." Brittney bit down on her lip, trying not to laugh. "Well, my dear, you must be the only one here who thinks the way that you do." "Yes, I am rather special," the red head proclaimed. Not being able to keep it in, Brittney giggled, a wonderful sound that had the people closest to her turn around to see her.

"So, you're Brittney Ambers," came a voice from across the table. Said girl turned her head to see that the speaker was his Majesty Prince Maxon himself. "Yes, Your Highness," she replied. "We are very pleasantly surprised that you are here. You are the first person to come here for educational reasons, after all," the Prince but his chin on his fist. "But, you can tell me, did you come here for any other reasons?" The way he said it gave Brittney all she needed to read between the lines. Her face must have been priceless, because the prince laughed and gave her a winning smile. "Just joking, my dear." In a surprise bout of confidence, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I am _not_ your dear!" Both the redhead and the prince laughed at that comment, leaving her thinking that that was a line that he had heard before.

"Well, well, I see that you've met America." He gestured to the girl sitting next to her. _America_, she thought._ What a lovely name. _"Yes, we do seem to be quite alike." "Well them, I'm certainly in danger." Maxon slyly said. Deciding to play along Brittney raised he right eyebrow. "If I understand what you are imposing, I agree with you. You certainly are in danger."

Her confidence shocked everyone, but not in a bad way. She wasn't being disrespectful and she certainly wasn't trying to intimidate the prince, she was just playing along with his game. If she had said what she had in even just a slightly different way, she would have been kicked out without a second thought. But the prince seemed genuinely amused by this girl. And quite honestly, so was the queen. This girl radiated confidence, but also an aura of purity that made her certain that she would not dare do anything to hurt any of them. From the discussion that she had had with her earlier, she seemed like a very responsible girl who put everyone's needs before her own. She was so much like herself…

"Mother?" Maxon's voice shook the queen out of her trance. "Yes, Maxon?" she turned her attention toward her son. "I was just asking you if you thought that Lady Brittney should be put under surveillance, should she be plotting to harm me." The queen chuckled at that. "No, I don't think that the Lady would do anything of the sort. Unless you provoke her of course." Maxon's expression turned into one of mock-horror. "I would never!" Brittney's laugh once again cut through the room, this time joined by everyone else's. "My, my. I feel so loved," Maxon said, shaking his head.

Brittney put her fork down, having finished her desert. She smiled as she looked around the room, taking in everybody's smiling faces. Even the king had a smile playing on his lips, although his eyes depicted a mix of emotions. Nevertheless, if the king was laughing, all was good. Suddenly, a guard entered the hall, bowing in front of the royals. "I'm sorry to intrude, Your Majesties, but Lady Brittney needs to come with me. The king is on the phone and wishes to speak to her." "Very well Officer. Miss Brittney, you are excused," the king said. "Thank you, Your Majesty," Brittney gracefully rose from her chair, dropped into a curtsy, and after receiving a nod from the king and queen, walked out the door.

"In here, My Lady," the officer said. "Thank you," she graciously said, sliding into the room. "Oh, and officer? Formalities aren't necessary when speaking to me." With that she shut the door gently and made her way over to the phone. "Hello?" "Amb- Brittney is that you?" a man with an English accent identical to her own spoke to her. Just at the sound of his voice, a smile made it's way across her face. "Yes, _Professor,_ it's me," she jokingly said. "Oh, don't start with that. I mean, _Brittney Ambers? _Really? Obvious much?" "Ugh, well, I just had dinner with them and everything is perfectly fine." "They don't-" "No, William. Not a thing." "So, when do you plan on telling them?" Brittney sighed. "Wilhim and Robert are looking through files. They got the jobs successfully and they're saying that it looks promising. I'll tell them when it's confirmed." "When do you think it will be confirmed?" "I don't know William. I honestly have no idea." There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "Alright. I just hope I'll be able to see you soon." "You will, I promise." Brittney smiled. "I love you." "I love you too Abs. Oh, and you forgot your phone. Go see Wilhim. I gave it to him before he left." "Thanks Will. Talk to you soon." "Yeah, bye." "Bye."

She put the phone down, taking in a deep breath. She walked out of the room and stepped into the dining room. Once again everybody turned to her. "I'm so very sorry, but I'm afraid I have to head up to my room. My professor needs me to write a report for tomorrow, and it seems to be a very complex outline. If you'll let me, Your Majesties, I'd like to get started so I don't stay up too late tonight." "Of course dear. Studies come first. I do hope you'll join us for breakfast tomorrow morning," the queen smiled sweetly. "Of course, Your Majesty." Just as she turned to leave, Prince Maxon's voice called her back. "Brittney, darling. When you come in the morning, do mind the door. We can't use up another ice pack." Brittney grinned. "It would not behoove me to act against your wishes Your Highness. I shan't do anything to displease you." Chuckling at their bewildered expressions, she put on an expression of mock disapproval. "Now, now. Don't tell me you've never heard those words in your life. It _is_ standard royal etiquette, is it not?" With that she dropped into another curtsy and walked away, guards following her, laughing under her breath. "What's behoove?" she heard someone ask, and that's all it took for her to double over in laughter, knowing that the people in the dining hall could hear it too.

The queen smiled to herself, barely holding in a laugh. That girl sure was something. "Mother, is it not a bit strange that she has a better vocabulary than me?" Maxon leaned over to ask her. "A better vocabulary than I, Maxon," she jokingly said. "Get it right." She laughed as he face-palmed, completely forgetting what Silvia had taught him. She really did love him. And something told her, even though she didn't want it too, that she was going to grow to love Brittney, too

{} {} {}

Brittney softly knocked on the door of the filing room, making sure that no one else heard. "Wilhim? Robert?" she called. "Over here, Your Grace," a man's voice called. She ran over to where he stood, along with another man in the Illéa uniform. "Well?" she asked. "Have you found anything?" "Well, we do have a lead. We heard that all the doctors in this palace had to keep a journal. We've confirmed that this is true. Now we are trying to locate the journal of this certain doctor, Doctor Dorlais," the first man explained. "Is he the one that had the job during 2025?" Brittney asked. "Yes, Your Grace. We believe that if we find his journal-" "You will able to find out if it really was a miscarriage or not! Brilliant, you two are. Brilliant!" she clapped her hands together. "Robert is going through files as well, trying to find video footage and other birth certificates. We have two other guards scouring the rest of the palace. Their search has come up inconclusive, Your Grace." Wilhim took a deep breath. "We, however, have found something." He bent down and pulled out a file with a single book inside. "This book is full of history on Illéa's past rulers, and those today. We believe they all wrote entries, along with those close to them or working for them. Some pages seem newer than others." He gave Brittney the book. "We will continue searching Your Grace. We art positive that we will come up with something at the end of the week."

Brittney took a deep breath, studying the cover of the book. It looked very old. "Thank you gentleman. I really do, truly appreciate it." "No problem ma'am. We know you aren't only doing this for yourself. We like to help as many people as we can." Brittney looked at the newer, white pages in the book. "So do I. So do I."

**Woah! What was that? I don't really know either. It'll all be cleared up in a few chapters, I promise. If I get a few reviews I'll definitely update tomorrow, but if not, well, let's just say I'm bust this weekend coming up. I really do hope you enjoyed it, and I just wanted to say that I will try to use your ideas in my story if you leave me suggestions. **

**Oh… I'm also looking for someone to fangirl over The One with… so if you want to be that person PM me or leave me a review and I'll make it happen. ;-****p**

**Until next time,**

**HorseGalFangirl9**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys!** I'm sorry for the long wait, but school really got in the way. But now I'm done, and while I'm still going to summer camp I'm going to be able to update a lot more frequently than I have been. I'd also like to let you know that I have slightly modified the two previous chapters, because I found some mistakes.

**maxamerica love: I tried to add a bit of interaction with America and Brittney, but there will be more in the next chapter. I did, however, add a small scene with Maxon and Brittney. The relationships between Brittney and those that she meets will become more developed as the story goes on.**

**Nonetheless, the second part of this chapter is for you.**

Chapter 3: The Report

It was Friday, and everyone was getting ready for the Report. Brittney sat at her vanity, watching as her maids discussed what to do with her hair and make-up for tonight. The royal family had been nice enough to give her the opportunity to be present with them and the Selected on the Report, and she wanted to make a good impression.

She sat back slightly, a smile on her face as she thought back to the morning. Breakfast had been… interesting to say the least.

Flasback/Memory

Brittney walked into the Great Room, wearing a light grey-blue day dress with white kitten heels. She was among the first to arrive, so she took a spot at the end of a table leaving an empty spot beside her for a certain redhead. Sure enough, America walked in a few minutes later with a blond girl by her side. Her eyes darted around the room before landing on Amber, and when they she broke out into a smile and made her way over to her, the blond girl in tow.

"I see you came," America jokingly said. "I didn't think you had it in you." "Oh, no. That Prince Maxon is not going to bring me down!" Brittney dramatically exclaimed. After a fit of giggles, the blond extended her hand. "I'm Marlee." Brittney took it. "Nice to meet you, Marlee. I'm Brittney." "Oh, I know." Cue giggles.

Then the doors opened, and the royal family stepped in. All the girls got up and curtsied, earning an approving look from Silvia. "You may sit," King Clarkson kissed his wife on the cheek, patted his son on the shoulder, and took his seat. Everybody then started to fill their plates as food was set out on the table.

The three girls proceeded talking while eating, being sure that they could not be heard. "So, what do you think of Prince Maxon?" Marlee asked. America swallowed before saying thoughtfully, "He's different than I expected. He's not really as stuck-up and self-absorbed as I thought he'd be. He's actually pretty nice." Brittney smiled. "I agree. From the two times I've talked to him-" she was cut off by Marlee. "You spoke to him twice?" "Yes. When I'd first arrived." Seeing the questioning looks, she added. "It's a long story that consists of me getting hit in the face with a door." The girls laughed remembering how she had been hit in the Women's room as well. "But anyway, I think he's a very sweet and caring man, although I do not intend to get involved with him. You can calm down, girls." America and Marlee shot her relieved smiles.

All of a sudden, a loud bang was heard from the head table. Maxon was there with his fist on the space where his plate was in front of him. His plate went flying across the room to the left and right into Brittney's face. She gasped as she felt the bacon and eggs make contact with her skin, along with the olive oil and spices dressing that was put on top of it. Collective gasps were heard across the room as Brittney took a napkin and wiped the food from her face and dress. "Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Maxon cried from the head table. "It's alright," Brittney replied. "I get it, you don't like my face. First the door, now this. Although I read somewhere that egg whites and olive oil were good for your skin, so you're out of luck, Your Highness."

Maxon smiled gratefully at her sense of humor. "I truly am sorry. Go clean yourself up, you wouldn't want to stain that dress." Brittney sighed. "No, we couldn't have that happen." She got up and curtsied. I hope to see you all at lunch. Then she walked out the doors.

End flashback

Brittney looked at the said dress, hanging to dry. Her maids had laughed when she told them her story, and had proceeded to prepare her a shower before she left for lunch. Lunch itself had been a time of jokes about breakfast and how Brittney should keep her distance from Maxon so she wouldn't get hurt. All the girls were very friendly, although Brittney knew that she hadn't gotten to meet eight of them who had been sent home the day before she had arrived.

"I got it!" Natasha called, snapping Brittney out of her stupor. She rushed over to the vanity and started pulling supplies out, and the amount of bobby pins that she placed in front of Brittney made the said girl gulp.

Her maids then proceeded to braid her hair in a seemingly complicated way: there seemed to be a French Braid starting in the middle of her head and then twisting to the left. The right side was braided normally, and the two braids were toed together in a bun on the bottom left side of her head. It was pretty, but the amount of bobby pins that Natasha and Nicole had used to hold it was unbelievable.

Natalie, however, had done her make-up simply. A bit of silver eye shadow covered her lid, along with a thin line of black pencil liner and mascara. Her cheeks were adorned with a bit of powdered bronzer and her lips had a sheen layer of pink lip-gloss on. She loved the look, but didn't have much time to admire it as her maids had pulled her away to fit her in her dress. Time seemed to go by slowly as she was slowly dressed. The three girls didn't even allow her to open her eyes when they put the jewelry on. Finally, after an agonizing wait, she was ready.

She opened her eyes. She was wearing an emerald green, floor-length evening gown with off-the-shoulder straps. The top rushed up until the top of her waist, where it flowed out in breezy, light layers of chiffon. Her black kitten heels peeked out from underneath her dress, he small diamonds at the tip matching those on her jewelry. Her necklace consisted of a short silver chain, which held a diamond pendant, one that she's brought from home. Her right wrist was adorned with a silver wrap-around bracelet, while diamonds matching that on her necklace hung from her ears. She looked regal, refined, and elegant. She turned to her maids and hugged them. "Thank you," she whispered.

She was then ushered out by a guard and down to the room where the Report was taking place. She was, ironically, seated next to America, who, in turn, was sitting next to Marlee. Her chair was slightly distanced from theirs though, and it seemed to be a little different. Her chair was lined with velvet, while the Selected's were made of just plain wood. While they were waiting for the Report to start, Brittney leaned in next to America. "You look lovely," she whispered. And she did. Her dress was a dark blue- almost purple. I was fitted through her hips and fanned out to the floor. Pearls were delicately placed in her hair, and her make-up and jewelry were minimal. It was nice- she wasn't trying to be someone she wasn't. "Thank you," America whispered back. "You look gorgeous." Brittney looked down at herself. "My maids are amazing." America smiled. "I know. Mine are too."

Then the anthem started to play. The two girls stopped conversing and sat up straight and faced forward. It was show time.

The king went on for a bit about the new developments in the war with New Asia before he called on Gavril Fadaye. Brittney recognized his name; he was the one who always interviewed the Royal family. She found him rather fun and slightly charming, although she'd never tell anyone. His pin captured the light, temporarily blinding her. She could have sworn that it was shaped like a star.

Gavril went on and interviewed each one of the remaining Selected, asking them questions about Maxon and what they liked to do at their leisure and their families. When all twenty-seven girls passed, Gavril made an announcement that surprised everybody. "Now, I understand that we have a young student from Europe that is with us here today?" He looked at the king for certainty. When he got a head nod, he continued. "So, Miss Brittney Ambers, would you come up here?"

After getting shoved off her chair by America, Brittney slowly made her way to Gavril, hand extended. Once they shook hands, she sat down on the stool and crossed her legs, her back straight. "So, Miss Brittney, you have the same family name as a certain Selected girl. Do you happen to be related?" Gavril started. Brittney laughed and shook her head. "No, Gavril. I assure you we're not related. I would know." Gavril laughed. "I'm sure you would. Now, tell me your background story. Why are you here?"

"Well, I was born in Europe. I was put in an orphanage as an infant, but I soon got adopted by a wealthy family. Then, I believe I was eleven when it happened, my father got shot and killed in a rebel attack, so we lost most of our income. We became the equivalent of what you would probably call Sevens, working as lawn mowers or dog walkers to get money. Sometimes we even had to beg. Then, in the big European rebel attack of 2037, all my family were killed." She paused. "You've heard of that attack?" Gavril cleared his throat. "Yes, we have. Please continue." Brittney nodded. "Where was I… oh yes! Well, I had to fend for myself, so I started going into local clubs and bars to earn money by doing gigs.

"During one of my gigs, the prince of England walked in. He said that he really loved my performing skills and wanted to hire me to come do it at the castle. I accepted, of course, and he and I became rather close. When he passed away, I took care of some of the work until their new queen was elected. She was grateful for my work, so she kept me around. Now we're almost like best buddies, and she lets me do some of her work if she has too much. Some of the work consists of knowing things about other countries, so I've been moving from country to country to learn more. Illéa is the last one on my list."

Gavril just sat there, blinking for a moment before coming to his senses. "Well, that is a truly amazing story. How old are you again, dear?" "Eighteen. I'm turning nineteen in the winter." Brittney replied. "Ah, well. Thank you, my dear. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of you?" Gavril asked. Brittney giggled. "Yes, you are going to have to put up with me for a while." "Well I look forward to it, Miss Brittney." "Thank you, Gavril." Brittney got up and walked back to her seat, ignoring al the incredulous looks thrown her way.

The rest of the night passed in a blur.

{} {} {}

It was late at night when Brittney heard the knock at her door. Having sent her maids away for the night, she grabbed her robe and opened the door, surprised to see Maxon standing there. "Your Highness," she curtsied. Maxon looked uncomfortable. "Can I come in?" "Of course," Brittney stepped aside, allowing him entry.

When he got in he just stood there in the middle of the room, looking a rather awkward. "Do you need something, Your Majesty?" Brittney asked, trying to break the silence. Maxon looked at her and blurted out, "I'm sorry." "Excuse me?" Brittney was taken aback. "I said I'm sorry," Maxon clarified. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that. You know, with the whole loosing everything you had thing. I have no idea how it would feel." He looked at her curiously. "I know that you didn't say everything. You kept some parts out." Seeing her shocked face, he added. "I know because I do it too. I tend to look uncertain and hesitate at certain parts. You did the same.

"I don't know what you went through, and I know that it was hard." Maxon said. Brittney scoffed. "You're right. You don't even know the half of it." She stared as Maxon came closer. "You know, you intrigue me, Brittney Ambers," he said. "Do I?" said girl raised an eyebrow. "Yes," Maxon sat on the bed. "You keep parts of your past hidden, you seem to be mature beyond your years, way too regal for a normal girl, even if you do live in the European Palace." He got up and grabbed her arms, showing the tattoos on the inside of her wrist. One had the European crest on it, the initials AB written inside it. The crest was surrounded by twisting lines that seemed to be branches of a tree. The other one had an infinity sign on what looked like a thick chain. One end had a queen's crown on it with the name Amber under it, while the other had a king's crown with the name William under it. Maxon traced over them, examining them.

"You have a tattoos with the names of the king and queen of Europe and initials that aren't even yours on your wrists. Unless you read backwards, of course." He got up and walked to the door. "You have secrets, Miss Brittney Ambers. I know you do. And I intend to find out. With that he closed the door, leaving a shell-shocked Brittney standing where he had been just seconds ago. Shaking, she made her way back to bed, muttering one thing over and over again.

"He can't suspect. He can't know. No one can."

**He he he!**

**I'm mean, aren't I? Don't worry, I'll update as soon as I can. I will, however, give out sneak peaks of chapter 4 to my first 5 reviewers, and if they don't have an account I will make a chapter based on their ideas. Please don't forget to review, so I can reach my goal. Favorite and Follow while you're at it.**

**Until next time,**

**HorseGalFangirl9**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! This is a rather speedy update, at least for me. There were actually a few errors in the past few chapters but for some reason my computer won't let me upload the replacement chapter to fix them. I apologize!**

**I got 2 reviews for my last chapter, and they both made me smile**!

**Kiren: Thank you! As for the miscarriage thing… you'll just have to wait and see. (A very intelligent guess though.)**

**maxamerica love: You're welcome. I used your idea because it was really good, I really liked it, and I thought it would benefit the story. Your ideas make this story more interesting, so keep them coming. I also tried to put a bit of America- Brittney action in this chapter. Oh, and thank you for the wonderful compliments! They really made my day!**

**P.S. Could you give me ideas for my other Selection fic, A Little Surprise (and other one-shots)? I'm having a bit of a writer's block and I think you could really help me!**

**Thank you, both of you for the amazing reviews. I think you should get an account so I can PM you sneak peeks and stuff!**

**Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the story!**

Chapter 4: Long live the Queen

It was the day after the Report, and all the girls were gathered in the Women's room. Brittney sat alone in the far corner of the room, near the window, writing in a small book. After getting a bunch of pitying looks thrown her way that morning, she made sure to distance herself from everyone. She didn't want their pity.

_I wonder what would happen if they knew the truth,_ she wondered as she looked out the window at the beautiful gardens. She'd have loved to go outside and write there, but she needed approval from the prince, and after what happened last night… She shook her head. Going outside to be alone would look suspicious, and she absolutely could not do anything that might lead him onto her. If anyone found out before she was ready… well, let's just say it wouldn't end well for her.

Brittney closed her journal with a sigh, too distracted to write anymore. She leant her head back to rest against the window and closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment of peace. After being so tense and stressed the past few days, it felt good to just relax. It was actually kind of mandatory for her, seeing as how too much stress and tension could result in another… episode so to say. Her condition would only worsen.

Unknowingly, she must have drifted off to sleep because she was awoken by the piercing shriek of an alarm. The haziness of sleep leaving her immediately, she shot up and ran to the door, opening it so all of the Selected could run out. After assuring that the twenty-six girls were out at being escorted by guards (a young girl had been eliminated earlier for slapping another competitor), Brittney shut the door and ran after the girls.

She tried to memorize the path they took so that she would know where to go when the next rebel attack took place. Her efforts were made in vain, though, seeing as there were so many people in front of her and so many detours that were taken. She had absolutely no idea where they were going.

After a few minutes of this disorienting march to safety, hidden doors were finally opened and they were all ushered inside. The royal family was already inside, Maxon looking quite relieved when they all made their way in. Some of the girls were crying, others shaking or huddling in the corner. Brittney however, was calm and collected, having been through attacks a lot more dangerous than this in the past four years. She went around, trying to comfort the distressed girls with calming words. She even told one hysterical girl, Fiona, she distinctly remembered her name, a ridiculous story about how she got trapped on the roof of Europe's palace and how they had to send a helicopter with an entire hoard of guards to get her down. Fiona's sobs had turned into laughter, and Brittney took that as a good sign.

She continued to tell embarrassing stories about herself to the girls, and soon enough, with her and Maxon's efforts combined, all of the girls had stopped sobbing and were now sleeping or shaking slightly. Brittney noticed that America was in a corner of the room with her maids. She shook her head, a small smile playing across her face. That girl really was different from the rest of the girls here.

Rather abruptly, the silence was broken by the sound of a little musical number, making everybody jump. Brittney face palmed before taking out her phone and answering the call. She turned her back to the room and went into the one corner that was not being used by terrified Selected. "Hello?" "Amb- Brittney!" came a male voice from the other end. Brittney recognized it immediately, and rolled her eyes at his ridiculous timing. "Yes, William." She looked around the room at all the eyes trained on her, and hastily whispered. "Look, this really isn't a good time. We're under attack. I'm currently in the Royal safe room with about thirty other people." "Wait…" William paused. "You brought your phone with you into a safe room?" Brittney rolled her eyes again. "It was in my handbag, which I had with me when the alarms sounded. I didn't even realize I brought it with me. Now, what is it you called for?" "Oh, right. I was just warning you that there's going to be a package sent to you later today. You're probably not going to like it." William said, just a bit rushed. "What do you-" Brittney was cut off. "Look, I have to go. Please, when you call me don't break my eardrums. Love you, bye!" The line went dead.

Brittney hung up, now confused. _What was that?_ She looked around the room once more,, noticing that it had gone deadly quiet. She smiled sheepishly. "It was the king. He just wanted to see how I was doing." "Oh, really? You seem to be on relatively friendly terms." The king fixed her with a pointed look that almost made her cower back. "Ah, well, you might say that we've grown rather close." Brittney hoped that she wasn't coming across as nervous as she felt. The king seemed to observe her for a while before finally saying, "Yes, I can see why."

Before Brittney could say anything, a guard burst through the door. "Ladies and gentlemen, the rebels have been subdued. However, we ask that you return to your rooms via the back staircase, seeing that there is a big mess and scores of injured guards. Thank you." With that, everyone filed out of the room and made their way up the said staircase. As she looked around, Brittney realized that they weren't kidding when they said it was a big mess. Chandeliers lay broken on the floor next to shredded paintings and cracked walls. Injured guards lay on cots along the walls, some moaning with pain. But then again, this was nothing compared to what she's been through.

Once she made it to the third floor, Brittney looked around. It didn't seem as damaged as the others, but she still had to watch her step to make sure that's he didn't get her feet impaled with broken glass. She finally made it to the doors of her room. There were patches on them that seemed to be stained red, and the possibilities of what they could be made her stomach churn. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors. One look around showed that nothing had been put out of place. Her heart stopped palpitating and slowly went back to normal. Her breathing slowed. Then she made her way into the bathroom.

It was covered in red. The mirrors, the bath, the shower. Al the supplies in the cupboards had been thrown about, leaving trails of hair product and moisturizer everywhere. But that wasn't the scariest part. On the wall above the bath was a knife, planted in the wall. Underneath it was a message written it what could only be blood: _Long live the Queen. _It was signed with the sigh of the Southern Rebels, an eight-point-star crossed with a knife.

A strangled cry escaped her lips as she ran from the room and into the hallway. Hearing her cry, a guard came rushing at her. "Miss, are you alright?" It was all that she could do to point to her room. The guard made his way inside, and paled once he saw the message. He talked into a radio. "I need a clean-up job in Lady Brittney's room. Assign her a new one for the time being. Alert the king."

It was at this time that her maids came running in. Seeing the guards pale face, her own panicked one, then seeing the message in the bathroom, they immediately went into panic mode. "Oh my God! What? Who? How?" Natalie couldn't even form coherent sentences.

Brittney just shook her head. She instinctively took out her phone and dialed the-all-too familiar number. He picked up on the first ring. "Calling so soon?" he said in a joking voice. If only he knew this was anything but a joke. "William…" she trailed off in a broken whisper. Hearing the sound of her voice, William immediately became worried. "Abs? What happened?" "The rebels. The Southern rebels, the murderers. They painted my bathroom with blood. Left a message too, along with a knife. _Long live the Queen._" She choked back a sob. "William, I'm scared. What do I do?" "Tell Wilhim and Robert to hurry it up. They're close, from what I've heard at least. Tell them immediately after they find it. The Queen part, I mean. We'll be able to set up the force fields and the barriers right after. Then, if your parentage is proven, you can tell them while the construction is going on.

"I'll call the guys now, tell them what happened. If the Illéan rebels are catching on…"

Brittney gulped. "Yes, okay. Do that." "I love you, Abs. Don't forget that. You're strong. You can do this." William encouraged. Despite everything, Brittney felt a smile spread across her face. "Love you, too. I'll speak to you soon." Then she hung up.

Moments later, the king came walking in, surrounded by guards. "What is the meaning of this?" The guard from earlier stepped out of the way, giving King Clarkson a view of the bathroom. He whirled on Brittney. "Do you know anything about this?" "No, Your Majesty, I don't. They might that it's the queen of Europe that's staying here, she is away on a trip. That's really the only thing I can think of," she tearfully admitted. _Only a few more days,_ she told herself. _Stay strong. _

"Clarkson, what's going on?" Queen Amberly came into the room. "I heard something about a threat and-" she stopped speaking as soon as she saw the bathroom. She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth, staring at Brittney in horror. She might have started to say something else, but it didn't matter. Feeling the tears coming, Brittney flew out of the room, rushing down the staircase and onto the second floor, where she collided headfirst with someone. "Ow! Watch it- oh, Brittney sorry, I-" seeing Brittney's tearstained face, America stopped talking. She pulled Brittney with her to her room, where she sat her down on her bed. She asked her her maids to leave, and told the guard on duty in front of her door to go a little further, out of earshot. Then she turned on Brittney.

"My God, what happened?" Brittney just shook her head. America sat down next to her and squeezed her hand. "Come on, you can tell me," she urged. "The rebels painted a message in blood. In my room. _Long live the Queen. _It's a death threat, when it's said like that it's a death threat." America looked at her funny. "How would you know that? That when it's phrased like that it's a threat?" "Standard training, America. You have to know that, at least in Europe," Brittney whispered, suddenly feeling drained. America shook her head. "I don't believe you. You seem way too flustered. Why would you care about a death threat to the Queen?" Brittney looked at her, incredulous. "The queen of Europe is very important. The continent could crumble without her part of the rule. But then again, isn't there a queen here? Do you think they could have mistaken the room?"

America's eyes widened in understanding. "You mean Queen Amberly? Gee, I don't know. I think they would go after the king first. And plus, it's pretty evident which door is the door to the Royal Chambers. They're huge!" Suddenly, her eyebrows shot up. "It's you isn't it? You're the queen of Europe!" Brittney scoffed. "America, you're getting ahead of yourself." "No, no I'm not! I mean, really. You're regal, talk to the king of Europe like you see him everyday, not to mention that you fit her description. Tall, fair skin, green-brown eyes. Your hair is auburn, but you could have changed it with die!" "That's enough, America!" Brittney screamed. Calming down a bit, she added "Don't mention this to anyone. Not the message, not the theory about me being queen. The safety of Illéa and Europe count on it. That is, until I reveal it myself." America gaped at her, unbelieving. "You mean-" Brittney shrugged. "You're a smart one, Miss America Singer. I'll give you that." Then she turned and walked out the door.

{} {} {}

Brittney was situated in her new room. It was on the far right side of the third floor, far away from her old one. She was sitting at the desk, filling out some paperwork that had come earlier that day. God, she HATED paperwork! To make it worse, it was a report about an attack on a nearby supplier to the European palace.

She sighed as she put down the pen, stretching out her wrist. She then leaned back on her chair, closing her eyes as she had done that morning in the Women's room. It's amazing how everything can change in a few seconds. She sighed again as she got up, going over to her vanity to pull her hair into a ponytail, when her door burst open. Whirling around, she saw Wilhim and Robert standing at her doorway, a thick file in hand. Her eyes widened "Is that-" "Yes," Robert said, grinning like a fool. He handed her the files, which she leafed through carefully. Birth certificates, journal entries and notes from the doctor, ultrasound photos. It was all there, all the proof they needed.

"A miracle child, you are," Robert said. "You better believe it," Wilhim agreed. Brittney grinned, a smile that threatened to split her face in half.

"I wonder how Maxon will react to having a sister!"

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**Mwahahahahaha! I am evil! I know, I know. I'll update as soon as I get 10 reviews. So… ya. The faster you review, the faster the chapter gets posted. PM me or review if you have any questions.**

**Until next time,**

**HorseGalFangirl9**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait. Honestly, I got a bit lazy. Reading Hush! Hush! By Michel Noel really takes away your life ambition. Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for the wonderful reviews. We reached 11 in 2 days! You guys are amazing! Thank you so much!** Chapter 5: Undercover

Brittney was awake long before the sun came up the next morning. How could she sleep when she kept seeing images of blood-spattered walls and the death threat that the rebels had left for her? It scared her, more than anything ever had. The Illéan rebels knew. They knew that she was the queen, even though no one else knew. Heck, not even their _king_ knew! That meant that they could have only gotten this information from one other source, and that scared her more than her certain death did. If the European rebels had allied with the Illéan murderers… well, she had to tell King Clarkson quick or Illéa might be reduced to ashes before they could even think of fighting back.

_That won't happen_, Brittney told herself firmly. _I'm telling him today anyway, and if he accepts our preposition everything will be just fine. _She sighed as she looked over at her desk, seeing the mountain of paperwork that she had prepared for the agreement. It was certainly risky, what with all the procedures that the country would have to go through, but it was Illéa's only hope. Even if they didn't want to ally with Europe, her parentage would come out at one point or another, and the rebels would surely attack Illéa, in hopes that she would give up and surrender. And God knows, to protect her family, she would.

Family. The word was so foreign on her tongue; it seemed surreal that she could use it freely now. She had spent thew first eleven years of her life underground in a secret compound, her "parents" only wanting her to be a new recruit for the rebels, to be one step closer to getting rid of the monarchy. Then she struggled for three years on the streets, sometimes going into bars and clubs to sing… among other things in order to get money. Then she was taken in by Europe's prince, who had a father who beat her and used her as his entertainment. Even when they were gone, lost at sea, and she rose to power, she never really had a family to call her own. William was her husband and the love of her life, but she could never say that she had a core family until now.

Realizing that she wouldn't get anymore sleep, Brittney rolled out of bed and went over to her desk, opening the drawers and digging to the bottom until she grasped the thick file that Wilhim and Robert had given to her last night. She hadn`t looked at it in detail; she`d only skimmed through it to make sure that everything she needed was there. Now, seeing as she had at least two hours to kill, she decided that it was time to really look at all the documents that represented her past. The majority of the file contained ultrasound photos, depicting her growth as an embryo to a fetus and so on. There were also doctor's notes about her progression, how her mother was doing, and this weird one that said something about grave complications from an unknown source. She would have to look into that later. Then she came across her birth certificate. It was printed on thick paper, the border decorated with a fancy gold design. In the middle, printed on a fine line, was her name: "Amber Brittney Shreave."

She smiled as she looked underneath it, seeing the line that sported her birthday: "December 20, 2025 at 2:03pm." It was funny how her actual birthday was so close to the one she had been told all her life: December 23, 2025. It made a big difference though. She was a Sagittarius, not a Capricorn. For some reason, that made her feel a lot better. She had never really thought that the Capricorn definition fit her. It would seem like a small, insignificant thing, but Brittney was the type of person who tends to notice the small details that don`t look right_. It`s probably a queen thing_, she thought as she closed the file. _Being a perfectionist and all. _

She put the file back into the drawer, closing it with a thump. With the momentary distraction gone, the panic about how people were going to react today when she told them the news settled in again, and memories of blood and the message flashed through her mind. She shook her head, took a deep breath, and rang for her maids. It was 6:00, so they were no doubt already up and working. Today was going to take a lot of preparation, and she needed all the time she could get.

Sure enough, Natalie, Natasha, and Nicole came rushing in a few minutes later, slightly out of breath. "You called, Miss?" Nicole gushed, leaning against the door frame. Brittney visibly gulped, her throat suddenly feeling very dry. "Um… yes. I-I need your help with something. But you can't freak out. Please," she croaked. Her maids were visibly shocked, but they simply nodded and bowed reverently. Brittney sighed in relief, knowing that she could trust them. She reached under her bed, grabbing a green bag. She took two bottles out and handed them to Natalie. "Hair color remover and a stain remover?" she asked, perplexed. "Why? Do you have dye in your hair?" "Yes," Brittney hurriedly answered. "And I need it to come out. Quickly." "Right away, Miss." Natalie grabbed her hand and led her to the bathroom where she prepared the sink and towels, completely oblivious to the panic attack that Britney was having.

"It's ready, Miss. Just sit down on the chair and tilt your head back," Natasha said, putting on plastic gloves. Brittney complied, willing her breathing to return to normal. She felt three pairs of hands find their way into her hair, rubbing her scalp and head with the remover that she had given them. It felt really good, and she felt herself relaxing ever so slightly. Of course, her little moment of peace was disrupted by Natalie's screech. "You're blond?" Nicole and Natasha shushed her, shaking their heads, though they were clearly just as shocked as she was. "Yes, I'm blond. Now please, continue. I need all the dye washed out in time to be ready for breakfast." Brittney hissed.

Half-an-hour later, Brittney was wrapped in a robe, her hair being dried off by one of her maids while the other two struggled to find the right make-up palette to go with her new hair color and wardrobe. They had found a pink day dress in the back of her closet, but she refused, having brought her own outfit for this day. They still hadn't figured out who she was, but she could see Natasha's face contort in confusion as her hair became dryer, and the type of blonde that she was became more evident. A honey-colored blond with a few platinum streaks here and there. Her eyes were becoming more vibrant, her hair making them seem brighter. Without the make-up that she usually had on she wasn't very recognizable, but some features that had been hidden until now were starting to show, like her defined cheekbones that had been hidden by the blush and the pointed end of her eyes that were usually softened by the eyeliner.

Soon enough her hair was completely dry, and her maids were helping her into her dress. It was a strapless royal blue day dress with a black sash and fitted just underneath her chest. Black lace covered the dress from the waist down, complete with a bow on the right side of the sash. Blue and black bracelets adorned her left wrist and a blue diamond hung on a short black chain around her neck. She wore four-inch blue kitten heels with a small black bow on each one. She had done her own make-up, earning disapproving glares from her maids. She had put on some foundation, some bronzer on her cheeks, making her high cheek bones seem more prominent. Her eyes were sporting a neutral eye-shadow, with some black liquid liner applied on her lop lid and flicked out like a tail, showing a more severe side.

When she finally stepped away from the vanity and turned to her maids, she saw recognition flash across their faces. They immediately dropped into a bow. "Your Majesty. We give our sincerest apologies for not recognizing you sooner," Nicole said, flustered. "Now, now, none of that. I didn't want to be recognized, anyway. That's your goal when you go undercover." She chuckled at their shocked expressions. Then she turned and pulled out one last thing from her bag. She showed the auburn wig to her maids. "I need you to put this on me. It's already styled the way I want it to be. I just need it secured on my head. Her maids nodded hurriedly and quickly fit the wig on her head. Looking in the mirror, Brittney seemed to be satisfied with her appearance. She hugged her maids. "Thank you girls! Now, could you please tell the king that I am ill and that I won't be attending breakfast?" They all nodded and scurried out, but not before bowing. Brittney shook her head at their antics and scurried out of her room.

She saw that the guard posted at her door was none other than Officer White, the guard she had met her first day at the palace. "Excuse me, Officer!" she called. "Hello, Miss Brittney," he replied. "How are you?" "I am well, thank you for asking." She looked around the hall, and seeing no one else, went on to say: "Do you happen to know if the king is in any meetings after breakfast?" "No, I don't believe he is. Why?" Brittney stumbled on her words. "Well, I need to see him. And the queen too, if possible." Officer White shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss. You are not authorized to speak to the king or queen unless given an official invitation." Brittney huffed, her patience running thin. "It's about the threat that the rebels left during their last attack. I think I know why they wrote it in my room, but I need to speak to the royal family about it." The officer looked at her for a minute, before slowly saying, "I'll see what I can do. Good day, Miss." He took off down the hall.

Brittney ran to her room and took out her phone. She hurriedly dialed her husband's number, but received voice mail instead. "Hey, honey. I'm getting a meeting with the king today, and I plan to tell him that I'm queen. I'll try to get him to accept our preposition, if I can. I also got the official papers that confirm my being a Shreave yesterday. I don't know when I'm going to tell them. I need your help." She took a deep breath. "If all goes well I'll see you in a few days. Call me back soon. I love you. Bye."

She had just slipped her phone into her blue clutch when the rebel alarms went off again. Brittney took off, running into a guard on the staircase. He grabbed her arm and led her through a bunch of hallways, the sound of guns firing echoing around the palace. Suddenly, the guard fell down, a puddle of blood blossoming from his head. Brittney fell down too, grabbing the gun that the fallen guard had dropped. She spun around and shot the rebel, making him fall down to the floor, dead. She got up and ran down the hallway, seeing Kriss and her guard pass her. Not knowing what else to do, she ran up and followed them.

She instinctively ducked when she heard the sound of a bullet whizzing past her. "Duck!" she yelled. Kriss complied, but the guard wasn't so lucky. He took the bullet in the back and fell down. Brittney turned and fired blindly behind her, pulling Kriss behind a wall. Once the coast was clear, they both sprinted to the royal safe room, which was just down the hall. Brittney fired at three more rebels before prying open the door and ushering Kriss inside. "Go go go!"

Once the safe room door was safely closed behind them, Kriss rushed down to meet Maxon. To say he looked relieved would be an understatement. Brittney slowly made her own way down the stairs, feeling a pain in her leg. She looked down to see a long scratch down her shin, bleeding profusely. Gritting her teeth, she sat down next to the stairs, unable to move anymore. It was America who first noticed her. "Amb-Brittney! What happened?" All eyes turned to her as she waved off America's concern. Maxon would have none of it. "Brittney, you're hurt!" He went over to the corner of the room and came back with a first aid kit. He starting cleaning up the wound, making her hiss in pain. He sent her an apologetic look as he continued to bandage it.

Suddenly, a movement near the king and queen caught Brittney's eye. A guard was pointing a gun at the queen's head. Feeling a rush of protectiveness, she screamed. "Queen Amberly, get down!" Maybe it was the panic in her voice or the force in her words, but the queen threw herself off her seat just as the gun went off. Grabbing gun next to her, Brittney shot the rebel in the hand. He let out a scream of pain and blindly as she jumped on him and knocked him out using the butt of her gun.

She turned around to the queen, who was getting helped up off the floor by Maxon and his father, looking shell-shocked. Brittney shakily got up and went over to the royal family. "Are you okay, Your Majesty?" she asked. The queen nodded her head. Then Maxon spoke up. "Uh… Brittney? Your arm!" Said girl looked at her arm, and saw it bleeding through a giant gash on her shoulder. She simply put a hand over it and shook her head.

The rebel was tied up and everyone slowly calmed down. Brittney was bandaged and put on a cot, where she was soon visited by the king. "Thank you, for saving my wife," he said. "It was nothing, Your Majesty." Brittney croaked. The king sighed. "I was told that you wanted to speak to my wife and I privately, am I correct?" Brittney nodded. "To say thank you for your act of bravery, I'll see you late tonight. I usually don't allow this, so you are very lucky. Miss Brittney." "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Brittney said. The king nodded and walked away. Brittney smiled. They had a date.

**Yay! No cliffie! I'll update when I get 15 reviews. Is that possible? I think so. I'll update earlier if someone gets this question right: How old am I? Good luck! **

**Until next time,**

**HorseGalFangirl9**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to update, but I couldn't write since I had many, many ideas in my head and had to get them organized to write comprehensible chapters. I'm back now, and I'm happy to say that I reached my goal of 15 reviews. You guys are the best! **

**going for the win (2): Thank you! I try! :-p**

**Dondon33: Thank you!**

**Kiren: Interesting guess…**

Chapter 6: The Queen

The attack went on for hours. It was probably the longest attack that the palace had ever witnessed, and also the most brutal. The screams of the wounded made their way through the safe room's doors, and it didn't only happen once that they heard the sound of a body hitting the near walls. Fortunately, all of the Selected had fallen asleep and were spared from this horrible feat. But Brittney and the royals were very much awake.

Maxon and his father were talking hurriedly, both looking extremely worried. The queen was gathered with them as well, including herself in the conversation every now and then. Brittney couldn't hear much from her place on the cot, but little pieces of the conversation would make their way to her ears every now and then. "…brutal and dangerous… never killed like this before… rebel got in… murder…" Brittney fought the urge to tell them everything, but she knew that she couldn't, not with the chance that one of the Selected could be faking sleep. She would just have to wait a little longer.

Sighing, she rolled over. There wasn't much else to do but wait. She relaxed her muscles, one by one, until she was no longer stiff as a board. God knows how much longer they'd be down here, and she would have to be comfortable if she wanted to get any rest at all. She closed her eyes, and was surprised to find how fast sleep came to her. However she did catch one more snippet of the royals' conversation before she drifted off. "… ever since that wretched European student came along. I don't like her."

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Brittney was woken up by someone shaking her shoulder. "Brittney. Brittney!" She groggily opened her eyes to find them staring into almost identical warm brown ones. "Brittney, the king is calling you," Maxon softly said, handing her her phone. It was vibrating, William's contact photo lit up on her screen. "Oh, thank you!" she said as she took the phone from Maxon. She smiled at him before turning her back and pressing the "answer" button.

"William! Why are you calling me?" she whispered. "This is a rather bad time!" "Amber, listen to me. Do you remember that group of European rebels that disappeared six months ago?" William sounded panicked. Brittney's throat closed, already having an idea of what he was going to say. "Yes…" "We were able to track them down. Amber, they went to Illéa. We think that they joined the Southern Rebels." Brittney gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah… I kind of figured that out. You know death threats and all that. And the attack that's been going on for four hours." She sighed. "I'm telling them today, and hopefully they'll accept the preposition and we'll start construction A.S.A.P." "Okay. Just be-" he was cut off by the door of the safe room blasting open. "Ahh!" Brittney screamed and hung up the phone, ducking behind the cot.

Everybody woke up, screaming when they saw the hoard of rebels at the door. The leader smiled cruelly. "Hello, everyone." He laughed when he saw the crowd in the back of the room. "Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt any of you. We just want the queen." Instinctively, everyone crowded around Queen Amberly, forming a protective shell. The rebel leader laughed again. "No, no. Not that queen. Queen Amber, Europe's queen."

"What do you want with the queen?" Brittney cried, coming out from her hiding place behind the cot. The rebel's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the English student. "My, my. What do we have here?" He took a step forward, but the two guards, who had finally come out of their state of shock, aimed their guns at him. In turn, all of the rebels pointed their weapons at various members of the Selected and royal family, along with at least three guns trained on Brittney. Another rebel took a step forward, his gun pointed straight at the said girl's heart. "Make one move, and she dies. I highly doubt that the king will be pleased when he finds out that his wife was killed thanks to the stupidity of Illéa's guards."

"I'm not his wife," Brittney said dangerously. "I don't know where you got _that_ idea. I am, however, one of his advisors and close friends with both him and the queen. Who, by the way, is on a trip to Italy. I don't get why you think she-" Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth with both hands, realising what she had said. The rebel leader's eyes flashed dangerously, and in an instant he was standing right in front of her, knife to her throat. "Don't mess with me, pretty girl. Our commander told us that the queen was going to Illéa, and the commander is never wrong. WHERE IS SHE?" he bellowed, digging the knife in deeper. Brittney's breathing became wheezes as her airway was slowly constricted, black spots dancing behind her eyelids. "I'm not telling you." She managed to breathe out.

She swore the rebel was about to kill her when a huge sonic blast was heard from above them. Startled, the rebel jumped away, letting Brittney fall to the floor, gasping. Seeing an opportunity, she grabbed the knife from the sheath under her dress and held it behind her back, shakily standing up. If that was what she thought it was, bullets were sure to go flying. She hopped in front of the royal family, the knife hidden in the ribbon on her dress. Sure enough, the rebel had just realised that she was gone when he was shot down by a bullet. A huge wave of European guards was running into the safe room, guns drawn and ready to fire. Brittney practically cried with relief. But the feeling was short lived.

Realising what was happening, the rebels were now shooting at the back of the room. Girls screamed as bullets came flying at them, kneeling down on the floor or lying down. A bullet went flying straight for the king, but Brittney was able to deflect it with the blade of her knife, the contact leaving a vibration down her arm. Another shot was fired, this time at the prince, and she threw her knife in the middle of the bullet's path, sending it straight back to the shooter. The sound of a body hitting the floor told her that it had found its mark.

Leaping down and picking up her knife, Brittney was just able to deflect an attack from the rebel that had tried to suffocate her. His shoulder was still bleeding badly from the bullet wound that he had gotten, but his teeth were gritted through the pain as he tried desperately to finish what he had started. The knife's blade glistened sickeningly in the dim lights, coming down to meet its target. The move was deflected with Brittney's own knife, now once again in her hand. The rebel snarled as he lunged at her, only getting even more furious when she sidestepped him. Seeing a window of opportunity, the young girl swung the knife in a deadly arc, effectively severing the rebel's arm. He howled in pain as Brittney knocked the hilt of her knife onto his temple, effectively cutting off his cries and rendering him unconscious.

She barely had time to duck before a bullet came breezing over her head, ruffling her hair. She whirled around to face her attacker, deflecting his next bullet withy the flat of her blade. It bounced toward him, but he dove and shot again blindly. It only because she dived to the side that the bullet missed her chest.

The rebel came charging at her again while she was on the floor. Kicking up her legs, Brittney knocked the gun out of his hands. Jumping up, she caught it and shot him, not looking to see where the bullet had met its mark. "Robert!" She called, seeing his towering physique in the mob of guards. He looked relieved as he ran over to her, shielding her with his body. "Your Majesty," he began. "They're European. They have the brand. All of them." Brittney's voice caught in her throat. "That's what I thought," she croaked out. "We're trying to knock them out, not kill, so we can take them back for questioning. Unfortunately, it isn't exactly working- Duck!" Robert cut himself off as a dagger made way for her head. It was flying so fast that he couldn't even jump in front of her. Doing the only thing that she could think of, Brittney tossed her head to the side. The dagger snagged the side of her head, fortunately sparing her. It did not, however, spare her wig as it was yanked off, landing on the wall on the other side of the room. Her blond hair tumbled onto her shoulders, falling in messy curls.

"Crap!" Robert yelled as he positioned himself so no weapon would possibly get to her without going through him first. "Hide behind me!" Not seeing any point in revealing her true identity to the rebels, Brittney put her back to Robert's as she crouched down. "Protect the royals! The Selected!" she yelled as she saw their cowering forms narrowly dodging bullets and knives. Fortunately, no one seemed to be hurt. Obeying her command, five guards ran from the fray and stood in a protective semi-circle around the Illéan family.

Brittney winced as she put her hand to the left side of her head, feeling a stinging sensation. It came back with blood staining her fingers. The dagger had grazed her after all, just not enough to kill. She shakily breathed in as the sound of screams and gunshots and death ran through her ears. It had happened to her so many times, but yet it always seemed to freak her out more and more every time. She hated it.

After what seemed like a decade, she finally heard her head guard's voice. "All clear. All clear. Where's the queen?" "I'm here!" she said, standing up and making her way in front of Robert. Her eyes widened as her eyes took in the bloody sight in front of her. She suddenly felt sick, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she desperately tried to hold onto her composure in front of everyone. She was happy to see that most of the bodies were rebels', but there had to be at least twenty of her guards lying on the floor with them.

"How many of you were sent?" she asked, finally finding her voice again. "About fifty, Your Majesty. We've lost twenty-one," Robert replied, answering what would have been her second question. "We await your orders, Your Grace," the head guard –Lucas, she remembered his name – said as he crossed his arms over his chest and bowed.

"Gather all the dead rebels and pile them onto the jet. Take the ones that are alive and tie them up, then leave them here until another jet arrives. Oh, could you order the jet Lucas? I would, but my phone won't be working anytime soon." She gestured to the broken piece of metal lying on the cot. Lucas cracked a small smile. "Of course, Your Majesty." He bowed once more before heading off, giving brief orders to the remaining guards and talking into his ear piece.

That being taken care of, Brittney turned to the royal family and the Selected, sweating in relief when she saw them all being escorted by guards, the worst injury being a deep scratch on the prince's left arm. As he passed by, the king's eyes widened as he whispered, "Come to my study as soon as you are finished here, Your Majesty." Brittney frowned at his mocking and disrespectful tone of voice, but wiped it off her face with a plastered smile and a curt nod. "I don't like the way he spoke to you," Robert whispered. Brittney pursed her lips. "Neither do I."

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The king's study was an ornate room. Green velvet covered most of the furniture and the floor; the only wood used being a dark oak. The king himself blended perfectly into the room. He was stiff and commanding, giving off the same feel as the room did. Well, rooms _were_ designed a certain way for a reason.

Brittney wiped the nervousness of her face and forced a small smile as she made her way over to the royals, all of them wearing a serious expression. Her shoulders were squared, her chin was held high, and she made sure that her hair fell behind her back, giving her a bigger presence. Once in front of the royals, she gave a small curtsy. "Your Majesties. Thank you for seeing me." She lifted her head up to see the king staring daggers at her. "When were you planning on telling us that you were the queen?" he demanded. Brittney was taken aback by his bluntness. He didn't even have the decency to call her "Your Majesty." Not that she liked it when people called her that, but still.

"Clarkson!" the queen whispered warningly. "Keep quiet, Amberly!" Clarkson snapped, effectively cutting off whatever his wife would have said. Once again, Brittney felt her mask start to slip into an expression of disgust, and she purposely left a little trace of it underneath her otherwise now stern expression.

"To answer your question, Your Majesty, I was going to tell you when I decided if I wanted Europe to become allies with your country." Seeing their confused looks, she hurriedly tried to explain. "I came here undercover because I wanted to get a real taste of what Illéa is like, not how people would orchestrate it to me. I know that you have been trying to become allies with us for a few years now, but we never looked into it since we were rather busy with the abolition of the sectors and the death of the royal family, along with the war. We have time now, and I am here to say that I will allow our countries- and continent- to become allies.

"However," she held up a finger, silencing whatever King Clarkson was about to say. "There are some repercussions to becoming allies with me- meaning Europe as a whole. The attack that you just witnessed is nothing compared to what the European rebels will do if they find out that you are our allies without proper protection. They will do whatever it takes to finish off the European monarchy, including killing off all of our suppliers. Your Country could be reduced to ashes before you can send out an S.O.S.

"That's why we need permission to begin construction. We're going to be installing a force field around the palace, along with six or so nuclear-proof safe bunkers in each province. Just in case." She smiled at the shocked faces staring back at her. "Any questions?"

"How long will this whole procedure take?" King Clarkson asked, snapping out of his stupor. "Oh, that depends. Both operations will be going on at the same time, so altogether I'd say anywhere from four to six months. Of course, we could also send in double or triple the men and have it done faster, in three to four months, but that will stall all of our own procedures. You'll have to send in some of your men to help us." She smirked. "So? What will it be?"

"We accept, Your Majesty. Along with triple the men. I want this done as soon as possible." Clarkson said. Brittney nodded. "Agreed, Your Majesty. We will need, however, at least fifty of your men to continue helping us with our current procedures." "Fifty, it is." "Father, we can make it one hundred." All heads turned to Maxon, who had been sitting quietly up until that point. "Maxon?" Clarkson asked dangerously. "We have over two hundred guards in training, all of whom are very capable of doing construction. I sat we select one hundred of them who are willing to do it. I'm sure Queen Brit- uh, Amber will be sending in triple of her own men. It's the least we can do." After sending a glare in his son's way, the king sighed and looked at Brittney. "We'll do a hundred."

"Perfect," she said. "Now I need to get the papers, which are still in my room." She sighed. "I'll go get them. I'll only be a minute." She turned around to see Wilhim standing there with the papers and a pen in his hands. "Oh. Thank you!" She took them and turned back to the royals. "Never mind then," she said cheekily. She saw a small smile pass over the queen's face as she said this, but it quickly disappeared once she glanced at her husband. Brittney was liking this man less and less. "Now, I need you to write your name, your birth certificate number, and then sign on the first line." The king, queen, and prince each took time filling out the form. Maxon seemed very surprised that she wanted his signature, but did it anyway. She wondered why.

"Thank you," she said as the paper was given back to her. She took the pen and signed on the lines where it was needed. "I'll also need an inside look at Illéa's dimensions. Would it be possible to send that to me?" "Yes, yes of course. We'll have it mailed in a few days." Queen Amberly assured. Brittney smiled. "Perfect. I'll have all the details mailed to you in a few days as well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a jet to catch." "Good-bye, Your Majesty," Clarkson said with a bow. Brittney could tell it was mocking.

Just before leaving the room, she turned back. "I'd like to have you know that I can call off this arrangement if you so anything to displease me, Your Majesty. Respect is a big part of our culture, and should you disrespect me as you are doing now anymore publicly, I will not be pleased. And while I may be young, take these words to heart when I say that you do not want to have me as an enemy." Then she walked out the door.

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The guard was going through that wretched queen's desk, as per the king's orders when he found it. A thick brown folder containing ultrasound photos, a birth certificate and DNA tests. What the information was proving made his blood run cold. He hurriedly made his way to the king's study, knocking hurriedly on the door. "What is it, Officer White?" The king snapped as he opened the door. Officer White gulped as he handed him the folder.

"I think this is something that you'd like to see."

**He He He… I'm evil, I know. That was actually my longest chapter, 3 253, so yay for me! words I'll update as soon as I get 20 reviews. Keep 'em coming!**

**Until next time,**

**HorseGalFangirl9**


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